Put the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Add the brown sugar and stir with the whisk to combine.

Put 1⁄4 cup of the nondairy milk, vegan cream cheese, oil, and vanilla extract into a blender and process on medium until creamy and smooth in texture. Add to the flour mixture, along with the remaining 11⁄4 cups of nondairy milk. Stir until well combined and somewhat fluffy. The mixture will be stiff, but if it seems overly dry, stir in additional nondairy milk (up to 3 tablespoons), 1 tablespoon at a time. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 15 minutes. Decrease the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for about 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (If it seems that the cake is starting to burn during the last 10 minutes of baking, tent it with foil).

Put the pan on a wire rack. Let cool completely. Spread the frosting evenly over the top. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover cake will keep for about 4 days.

Chop the chocolate bar into small pieces. Place the chocolate pieces into a large mixing bowl.

Add the oil and sugar. Pour the non-dairy milk into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer.

Pour the simmering non-dairy milk over the chocolate, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking as you go, until lumps are gone and frosting it is thickened slightly. Continue to whisk until frosting is smooth.

Drizzle or spread over cake. Chill to set. Store the cake in the refrigerator.

Luscious Little Carrot Cupcake Muffins

Makes 24 Mini-Muffin Cupcakes

These delightful baked treats serve double duty in your recipe box. Without the frosting, they make luscious muffins. Add the frosting and they shine as a sinful tasting dessert cupcake, making the perfect party indulgence. Whichever way you eat ‘em, I know you’ll love ‘em!

VEGAN CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

12 ounces vegan cream cheese, at room temperature

3⁄4 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

CARROT GARNISH

1⁄3 cup peeled and grated carrot

CUPCAKES/MUFFINS

2 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄2 cup brown sugar or maple sugar

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 cup peeled and grated carrots

3⁄4 cup raisins

1 cup vanilla nondairy milk

1⁄2 cup vegetable oil

1⁄2 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line one 24-cup or two 12-cup mini-muffin tins with paper liners. To make the frosting, put the vegan cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and stir vigorously until smooth and well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.

Put the carrot garnish in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

To make the cupcake/muffins, put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Add the sugar and stir with the whisk to combine. Add the walnuts, carrots, and raisins and stir until coated with the flour. Stir in the nondairy milk, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix just until incorporated. (If the mixture seems too “loose” add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the batter is thick enough to form soft peaks).

Divide the mixture among the lined muffin cups. The muffin cups will be very full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Put the pans on wire racks and loosen the sides of each muffin with a knife. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the pans (you may need to cut the tops apart before removing them from the pans if they have over-flowed and fused together). Let cool for about 40 minutes longer.

Spoon a generous amount of frosting over the top of each muffin. Top with a bit of the carrot garnish, placed artfully in the center of the frosting. Covered tightly and stored in the refrigerator, leftover mini-muffins will keep for about 2 days.

Almondy Oatmeal Cookies with Raisins and Chocolate Chips

15 TO 20 COOKIES

3⁄4 cup rolled oats

1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour

1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

1⁄3 cup vegan margarine, at room temperature

3 tablespoons almond butter

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1⁄4 cup almond milk, plus more as needed

1⁄2 cup raisins

1⁄2 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the oats, flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and stir with a dry whisk to combine. Put the brown sugar and margarine in a medium bowl and stir vigorously until smooth and well combined. Add the almond butter and vanilla extract and stir vigorously until smooth and well blended. Add to the oat mixture, along with the almond milk, to make a dough. Stir until well combined. The dough will be stiff, but if it seems overly dry, stir in a bit more nondairy milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 heaping tablespoonful of the dough onto the lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly with a spatula. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.

Put the baking sheets on a wire rack. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 15 minutes before transferring to a serving platter or storage container. Stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, the cookies will keep for 7 to 10 days.

Jazzy Tip: I love using parchment paper, which makes any pan nonstick, even with the stickiest baked goods. Because it eliminates the need to oil pans, it makes cleanup much speedier. Plus, it’s compostable! Opt for unbleached parchment paper. This way it’s a chlorine-free product—better for you, and better for the environment. Yay!